A website being launched by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) repeatedly refers to the fifth-term congressman, running for the seat being vacated by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn. ), as “Fancy Ford” and includes pictures of expensive restaurants, hotel facilities, cigars, tulips and Playboy bunnies.“It makes you wonder … what would the folks back in Tennessee think? ” the site asks.

NRSC spokesman Brian Nick said: “The overall theme of the site points out how Fancy Ford has become a Washington insider who is very out of touch with Tennessee values. ”

Nick added that the site is linked to the NRSC website and will target activists across the country on the Internet. The NRSC will also buy Web ads to drive traffic to the site, he said.

The Ford campaign declined to comment.

So why use the word fancy?

Well, according to Encarta:

fancy man

noun1. woman's lover: the lover or boyfriend of a woman, especially a married woman (dated informal)2. Same as pimp(archaic)

Of course, when you get to the site, you'll see Ford's picture next to a line of white Playboy bunnies. The subtext here is nasty. Not that they think he's a pimp, but he's uppity and has a taste for white women, which is poison in a lot of places.

They tossed the race card on the table with a little more subtlety than a whites only sign. But only a little.

They'll deny it, but fancy? Come on, it isn't about his spending habits.